Confession

The journey Back home was quite quiet as usual with no words,they were both so used to this pattern.

Ryan could still feel the weight of the unresolved tension between them.

Finally the car came to a halt stopping at Ryan's mansion 

Just when Ryan stepped out from the car,his phone rang loudly 

Picking up the call quickly "Hello" Ryan said with a firm tone.

"Boss there's a problem" Ben stammered over the phone.

Ryan frowned, sensing the urgency in Ben's demeanor. "What's going on? You sound like you've seen a ghost."

"It's about Jason," Ben blurted, his voice tinged with fear. "He abducted my daughter and threatened to kill her"

A chill ran down Ryan's spine. Jason was a figure shrouded in darkness—the kind of person who thrived on chaos and fear. "What did he want?" 

"He wants to know your connection with Lia. I told him I didn't know, but he didn't buy it,he warned that they will be consequences if I didn't tell him.

"Consequences?" Ryan echoed, feeling irritation and concern battle it out within him. "What kind of consequences?"

Ben took a deep breath, clearing the anxiety from his throat. "My daughter,he promised to send her head over as a present"

Ryan eyes widened in disbelief "What did you tell him?" 

 "I had no choice boss? He was intense, and when I insisted I didn't know anything, I could hear him torturing my little daughter so bad, Ben replied with a hard voice.

Ryan's jaw tightened. "Torture? Damn it, Ben. "What about her,is she safe now"

"Yes,he sent her back to me ! I had to tell him to get him off my back. I told him you were in a contract marriage with Lia… that it was all part of some corporate strategy. I didn't know what else to say." I was so scared of losing of my only daughter.

At that moment, the walls seemed to close in around Ryan. The weight of the confession slammed into him as he processed Ben's words. A contract marriage? "You told him that?" 

"I didn't have a choice!" Ben pleaded, his voice bordering on desperation. "He wouldn't stop torturing her. I thought… I thought if I gave him something that sounded plausible, he'd send her back to me.

Ryan closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on controlling his racing heart. "And now he knows. This is bad, really bad." 

"I'm sorry, Boss. I didn't want to put you in danger, but I felt like I was about to lose something precious in my life," Ben confessed meekly.

Ryan paced around the reality of the situation sinking in deeper. Jason's fingers reached long and deep into their family's history, twisting narratives and manipulating intentions. He had always been the black sheep, but now he was an unpredictable threat. 

"Look, you need to lay low for a while," Ryan continued "Don't go anywhere alone, and make you watch over your daughter,If Jason is onto you, he could try to use that against me. Until I can figure out a way to deal with him, you need to be smart about it."

"Agreed," Ben said,What about you? Are you going to talk to him?"

"I will," Ryan assured him. "But I need to approach this carefully. Jason is dangerous. I don't want to put you or Lia in harm's way because of him." 

Ben exhaled softly over the phone "I promise not to show my face near the company"

"Hey listen Ben,I never said I was going to fire you,or that I hated you, you did not betray me,I understand aight,I would do same if I was in your shoes.

 "We'll figure this out,Just stay in contact with me, alright? If Jason approaches you again, call me—don't respond."

"Yes Boss"determination pushing aside his fear. "I will. Just keep me updated."

Ryan took a deep breath before hanging up the call.

"Jason that bastard,I never thought he would go this extent, Ben was so close to loosing his daughter" because of me .

"I'm so doomed" Ryan thought running his fingers through his hair.

Getting into his car hurriedly, Ryan zoomed off in a flashing move.

After what seems like eternity Ryan finally arrived at the Collins estate.

He stepped out from the car walking Into the house rapidly.

Swinging the door opened Ryan eyes fell on his father back.

His father stood abruptly facing a glass door portraying the outside view with his arms crossed.